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Ghaston Grey
Ghaston Grey is an island castle that is fallen into ruin. Canon tells us very little about Ghaston Grey other than that it is used as a prison for some of Westeros' most prolific criminals. Westeros. DutchGuard invents the tale that the castle was once the keep of a very wealthy Valyrian Merchant, but in conflicts with the Yronwoods (located close by on the south coast of the Sea of Dorne) had his castle sacked and was left abandoned. The Yronwoods operate the prison to the present day, and makes a healthy income from kings and lords alike who wish to keep their enemies locked away for life. As a prison, Ghaston Grey works rather effectively. Not only are the walls high, but they are also lined with iron spikes (placed there when the castle was refitted to be a prison). While escape is possible, criminals will only find themselves faced with leagues of salty, stormy, seas. And even if they landed on the coast of Dorne, they would be miles from fresh water. The castle employs about 30 gaolers and one warden. The warden lives in the highest room in the Grey Tower, and is suspected of being a Targaryan loyalist. The prison has a capacity to hold over 100 prisoners, and also has cells for solitary confinement. Should questioning be necessary, an "interrogation" room is located below the Grey Tower. Features * The Docks and Processing Rooms The docks are made up of three buildings: The Gaolers Rest, the Storehouse, and the Processing Rooms. In the rest, sailors looking to stop at the prison to trade goods or drop off inmates can rest and speak with the residents of the island. The Storehouse is used primarily as storage for traded goods. The Processing rooms consists of the registry, where all of your clothing and belongings are stripped of you, and your name is taken down by a scribe, and the baths where the inmates are forced to bath in boiling water to clean themselves of any disease and filth that may cause untimely death. From here, inmates are given rags and sandals, and then sent up the stairs built into the cliff. Gaolers are known to insult the inmates as they bathe, a common taunt being "Enjoy your last bath." * The Grey Tower is the most notable feature of the island. Rising to the highest point, they Grey Tower used to be the lighthouse and main keep of the island. The fire is still kept lit high above the stones, to warn ships of the dangerous rocky atoll surrounding it's base. Today the tower is used as the gaolers barracks, dining hall, and wardens chambers. * Crows Roost was once the old Rookery of the island. It has since lost 1/3 of it's original height, but is still used as a lookout for gaelors and for storage of weaponry. Where once ravens flew, crows now wait for inmates to die. * The Kitchens What once was a smithy and armory is now the kitchens. The kitchen features a full array of food preparation tools, but uses only the best food for the gaolers. The scraps are given, usually raw, to the prisoners. The kitchen has a granary in it's underground cellar. * The Brink is what the inmates call the main prison building. It hold the majority of the prisoners and is located in the innermost bailey of the castle. This structure was once the barracks and main storage area of the castle, until it was refitted with iron bars and heavy oak doors. Despite damage to some of the cells, they are still used to dare prisoners to escape. Prisoner in these "open air" cells usually die from hypothermia as they have no protection from sea gales. * The Septyard was once a small garden in the castle, which has been made available to the prisoners. Followers of the seven built a makeshift sept within the walls from pieces of painted wood. It is rumored that the stature of the warrior is constantly repainted using the blood of men who died in prison brawls. Because the island prison is also home to prisoners from Essos and the lands beyond, a small cave was excavated and worshipers of R'Hollor have built a small shrine dedicated to his worship. * The Toilets were built midway through the life of the prison as a solution to solve the problem of prison defacation building up inside the walls. The rule is "Put your shit in the toilet, or you go with it." The buildup of fecal matter has created a streak of filth on the north side of the island, where weeds have managed to take root among the fertile waste. * Solitary This tower is located on the south side of the island, and is perched perilously upon a eroding cliff. 2/3 of the tower have collapsed onto the rocks below. This tower is used mainly as a gaolers post and houses the solitary confinement cells. As once descends into the tower, the cells become progressively more cramped. Construction * Ghaston Grey was built over the course of several months by DutchGuard * The stream of filth located on the far cliff is lovingly referred to as "shit falls" by players. * This build has proved to be an excellent PvP arena, and features many 'sniping' positions for archers. * The walls of the castle are excellent examples of ruined medieval curtain walls. Category:Dorne Category:Islands